Clematis plant named &#39;Festival&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new variety of  clematis  plant named ‘Festival’. The variety is characterized by it&#39;s dwarf growing habit and prolific very symmetrical bicolor blooms. The compact habit, high bud count, compact dark green foliage make this an excellent  clematis  for containers and small spaces.

BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION

Clematis sp.

CULTIVAR DESIGNATION

‘Festival’

BACKGROUND OF THE VARIETY

The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of hybrid clematis plant known by the cultivar name ‘Festival’.

The new variety was a chance seedling that was picked out of a group of seedlings growing in a controlled planting at my nursery, Spring Valley Clematis Nursery in Walworth N.Y. in 2003. This variety was picked out because of it's compact growth habit, prolific and symmetrical blooms. This variety was asexually propagated by soft wood cuttings in greenhouses owned by Spring Valley Greenhouses Inc. in Walworth N.Y., and observed over the next six years. Asexual propagation by vegetative cuttings has shown that the propagules are identical to the original plant and all distinguished characteristics. The stability of the variety is evidenced by the distinguished characteristics remaining true to form from generation to generation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Among the features which distinguish the new variety from other present available and known commercial clematis cultivars is it works well in a container due to it's compact growth and prolific blooming habits. The unique color, uniform size, and the abundance of blooms make this cultivar unique.

RELEVANT PRIOR ART

This new variety is similar to Clematis sp. ‘Mrs. N. Thompson’, a non patent Clematis variety. Clematis sp. ‘Festival’ has more overlapping tepals also the center stamens are more appealing and the growth habit is stronger.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photographs illustrates the overall appearance of the new variety. The flowering and foliage colors as shown are, within the limitations of color photography, accurate and true reproductions of the actual colors of new variety. Sheet one is a photographic front view of a close up of a typical Clematis sp. ‘Festival’. Sheet two is a view of the typical leaves, flower buds, and backside of flower. Sheet three is a view typical form and growth habit of Clematis sp. ‘Festival’.

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following information is based on a three year old plant grown in 50% shade in a five gallon container in a covered greenhouse with 60° F. ambient night temperatures and 75° F. ambient day temperatures in Walworth, N.Y. Color references are based on using the PANTONE® matching system.

-   1. Plant:     -   -   A. Form.—upright climbing or spreading, no lateral branching             was observed.         -   B. Growth.—vigorous, vining 1. Height: approximately 4 feet             to 6 feet 2. Diameter/Spread: approximately 1.5 feet to 2.5             feet.         -   C. Foliage.—deciduous, compound-trifoliate, opposite 1.             Size, typical and observed: a. compound leaf length 3 to 4             inches, width 3 to 4 inches b. individual leaflets length             1.5 to 2 inches, width 0.5 to 1 inch c. leaflets per             compound leaf: 3 2. Quantity of leaves per stem: typically             and observed: about 45 3. Color a. upper surface: dark green             (PANTONE® #575U) b. lower surface: medium green (PANTONE®             #7491U) 4. Shape a. leaflets: the leaves are elliptical,             margin is untoothed with pubescent edge, apex is pointed 5.             Texture a. upperside: smooth and veined b. underside: ribbed             and pubescent on veins and edges c. venation pattern:             leaflets palmatic with green coloration on upper and             lower 6. Petiole a. color: medium green (PANTONE® #582U) b.             length, typical and observed: 1 to 1.5 inches c. diameter,             typical and observed: 1/16 inch d. glabrous: no.         -   D. Wood.—1. New Shoots a. color: light green (PANTONE®             #583C) with a faint reddish black tint (PANTONE® #696C) b.             bark: pubescent c. internodes: cylindrical, approximately 2             to 3 inches in length and 1/16 inch in diameter 2. Old             Wood a. color: medium to dark brown (PANTONE® #4635C) b.             bark: smooth ⅛ inch in diameter c. internodes: cylindrical,             approximately 3 to 4 inches in length and ⅛ inch in diameter             and pubescent.         -   E. Hardiness.—US Zones 4 through 8 1. low temperature             tolerance, typical and observed: −10° F. to 0° F. 2. high             temperature tolerance, typical and observed: 90° F. to 110°             F.; requires 6 to 8 weeks dormancy at 35° F. to 40° F. to             remain vigorous.         -   F. Disease.—1. subject to any disease that affects             clematis a. wilt b. botrytis c. powdery mildew.         -   G. Pests.—1. subject to any pest that normally affect             clematis a. aphids b. spider mites c. slugs and snails. -   II. Flower:     -   -   A. Blooming habit.—May and June on new and old growth based             on climate in Rochester, N.Y. area.         -   B. Bud.—1. Size: typical and observed from about 1 to 1.75             inches in length and about ½ to 1 inch in diameter 2. Form:             ovate base with pointed tip 3. Color: light green (PANTONE®             #578C) with pinkish veins (PANTONE® #516C).         -   C. Stem.—1. Dimension, typical and observed: length 1 to 2             inches, diameter 1/16 inch 2. Aspect: vertical 3. strength:             erect 4. Color: light green (PANTONE® #578C).         -   D. Bloom.—1. Size: typical and observed from about 3 to 5             inches in diameter with a depth of about ¾ inch 2. Form:             round shaped with 6 to 8 tepals of equal size overlapping 3.             Color upper surface: bluish purple (PANTONE® #2572C) with             reddish bar (PANTONE® #225C) 4. Color of lower surface:             outer edge is bluish purple (PANTONE® #2645U) middle is             white with prominent veins 5. Characteristics: born on 1.5             to 2 inch stems on new and old growth 6. Quantity: 1 bloom             per stem, 2 to 3 blooms per node from 2 or 3 to several             hundred blooms per plant depending on the age and size of             plant 7. lastingness: 3 to 6 days as a cut flower or 7 to 10             days on plant.         -   E. Tepals.—1. Form: elliptical shape, narrow at base             rounding at mid section width 1 inches to 1.25 inches at             widest point and then tapering down to a pointed apex. The             overall tepal length being 1.5 to 2.5 inches. 2. Arrangement             of tepals: regularly arranged overlapping 3. Fragrance:             none 4. Color: upper surface is bluish purple (PANTONE®             #2572C) with reddish bar (PANTONE® #225C) lower surface is             bluish purple (PANTONE® #2645U) middle is white with             prominent veins. -   III. Reproductive organs:     -   -   A. Stamens, filaments and anthers.—1. Arrangement:             irregularly arranged 2. Stamens: typical and observed 40 to             50 per bloom, length 0.5 inch 3. Anthers: length ¼ inch             (PANTONE® #235U) reddish black 4. Filament: white with             reddish pink hue (PANTONE® #204U).         -   B. Pollen.—1. Color: white 2. Amount: scarce.         -   C. Styles.—white, even, average length.         -   D. Stigmas.—1. Color: white.         -   E. Seed, typical and observed.—1. Diameter: ⅛ inch 2.             Thickness: 1.16 inch 3. Color: (PANTONE® #456U) greenish             brown 4. Shape: round 5. Quantity per bloom: 20 to 30 6.             Description: ¾ inch long persistent style which is clothed             with silky white hairs. 

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of clematis plant named ‘Festival’ as shown and described herein. 